Treatment center sues for denial of bonds

The Caron Foundation of Florida has filed a lawsuit against Palm Beach County commissioners, alleging that the nonprofit organization that treats drug and alcohol abusers was improperly denied a request for tax-exempt government bonds.

The commission on Oct. 2 rejected the foundation's request for government-issued bonds that were sought to help the foundation pay for a planned expansion of its operations in south Palm Beach County.

Borrowing money by selling $9.5 million in bonds would have saved on interest payments otherwise owed.

The group is seeking to relocate its Boca Raton facility and refurbish apartments it runs for program participants in Delray Beach.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims the county violated various federal laws intended to protect the rights of the disabled and to ensure fair-housing practices.

During the commission's Oct. 2 deliberations, Commissioner Mary McCarty argued that the south county area has become a haven for treatment centers that reach out primarily to people outside the county.

In the lawsuit, the Caron Foundation said that commissioners' stated reasons for voting against the bond request "were not based on fact" and "were based on improper discrimination against persons with disabilities and those who treat them."

"I think it's safe to say that the commission had no discriminatory intent [in denying the request for the bonds]," McMahon said. "They [commissioners] expressed concern about the health, safety and welfare of the county's citizens, which is what commissioners should do."